7 Secret Pronunciation Rules Your Teacher Never Taught You :)

Reading and pronouncing words correctly can be a big challenge in English. Why does an "E" sometimes sound like an "eh" and sometime like "ee"? SO MANY students struggle with pronunciation, even after years of practice.

Don't despair! There is hope! :) I found this article super helpful when teaching and I've shared it with many of my intermediate/advanced English students. There are examples and explanations provided in the article. Make sure you're familiar with long and short vowel sounds before you read it! :)

Pronunciation Rules, Summarized:

1. A Vowel Followed by a Single Consonant at the End of a Word Is Pronounced as a Short Vowel.

2. A Vowel Followed by Two Consonants at the End of a Word Is Pronounced as a Short Vowel.

3. If a Vowel Is the Final Letter in a Word, It Is Pronounced as a Long Vowel.

4. If an E Appears at the End of a Word, It Is Silent. The Preceding Vowel (Separated from the E by One or More Consonants) Will Be Pronounced as a Long Vowel.

5. If Two Vowels Appear next to Each Other in One Syllable, the Second Vowel Is Silent and the First Vowel Is Pronounced as a Long Vowel.

6. If One Consonant Follows a Vowel in the Middle of a Word, It Is Pronounced as the First Sound in the Next Syllable.

7. If One Consonant Follows a Vowel in the Middle of a Word, It Is Pronounced as the First Sound in the Next Syllable.